As Hawaii's high school football teams enter the playoffs, Athletic Trainers Mikaylah Kaohu and Alexis Domingo are focused on more than the final score. They're watching for injuries, managing rehabilitation, and helping student-athletes stay healthy through the final weeks of a demanding season.
Kaohu, an Athletic Trainer at Leilehua High School, knows that recognizing an injury sometimes starts with noticing the smallest changes in an athlete's behavior.
“We’re looking for athletes in distress. We’re looking for any signs of, you know, that athlete might not be okay,” Kaohu told Island News.
Even how quickly a player gets up after a tackle can be an important signal.
“If they’re getting up slowly, then we’re kind of on our toes,” she explained.
The workload is significant. At Leilehua, just two Athletic Trainers care for hundreds of athletes participating in football and seven other fall sports. As the season progresses, fatigue, soreness, and injuries require ongoing treatment, rehabilitation, and documentation.
At Campbell High School, Domingo has spent five years helping athletes recover and return to competition. She emphasizes that Athletic Training involves much more than traditional taping and icing, with individualized rehabilitation playing an increasingly important role.
“Rather than just tape and ice, there’s cupping, there’s dry needling, there’s blood flow restriction,” Domingo said.
Both Athletic Trainers also work to build trust with athletes, encouraging them to report injuries rather than play through pain or risk further injury.
For Domingo, those relationships are what make the profession especially meaningful. Athletic Trainers often support students throughout their high school careers, celebrating victories while helping them navigate difficult setbacks.
“Every high that they feel, we feel too. Every low that they feel, we feel especially,” Domingo said.
As Hawaii's football playoffs continue, Kaohu and Domingo demonstrate how Athletic Trainers contribute to student-athlete health through clinical care, education, and relationships that extend well beyond game day.